


The best kind of Rivalry

by BooksandKpop



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Dragon Riders AU, Dragons, Elves, Humans, I'm bad at world building, M/M, Magic AU, Magic Users, Taeyang is only mentioned and Dawon has like one line, Vampires, also Jaeyoon doesn't actually say anything, and some sparring in the beginning with no actual details, and very vague references to types of magic, but with magic, fae, i'll put all the information you need into a bonus chapter, mentions of fighting, there are probably a lot of inconsistencies, this was meant to be short and sweet, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 08:02:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12813171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksandKpop/pseuds/BooksandKpop
Summary: What happens when two bitter rivals are paired up for their very important end of year project? Well, a lot more than you think.HwiChan Rival Dragon Rider AU ft. SF9 Ensemble and mentions of ASTRO and Pentagon members.





	1. Main Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peachjuho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachjuho/gifts).



> First of all a very happy birthday Jae! I'm sorry this is a little late but I hope you had a wonderful day! This turned out so long and probably confusing as heck but I still hope you like it! It's not exactly the relationship progression you wanted but I hope it's still alright!

“Alright class for your final lesson today we’re going to do some sparring. I will assign you to your partner, so don’t get too comfortable with your friends.”

 

Hwiyoung groaned, they had been doing physical tasks all day with only an hour break for lunch where he could rest his muscles. He was far from unfit, in order to even be looked at as a candidate you needed to be in decent physical shape. However, he favoured the intellectual and community aspects of becoming a dragon rider over the physical exertion. Moving to a less crowded spot in the arena he began doing some very gentle stretches to test the state of his body, it would be no use trying to perform a particular manoeuvre only to have his legs collapse from under him or his shoulder lock in place. Around the group, he could see most of his classmates had the same idea. The Academy took in a wide range of students from all races, they prided themselves on being the most inclusive training school in the country. It was a relief for Hwiyoung when he arrived on his first day and was immediately met by another elf his own age, he went by Rocky, and they had quickly become firm friends. The boy finished his stretches and moved back towards the crowd to get his partner assignment.

 

“Eunwoo, I will be pairing you up with Taeyang. Hwiyoung you’re with Chani, and Rocky I’m going to put you against Moonbin.”

 

His other two friends nodded in agreement and moved off in the direction of their designated partners, but Hwiyoung was frozen in place. Of all the students in the entire class, what were the chances he would be paired with this one in particular. Looking across the ring to where he knew the fae always sat he immediately caught his eye, obviously he had been informed of their partnership too. Reluctantly he made his way over to him and dropped into a bow. The younger of the two acknowledged his presence and stood up, he looked just as unhappy with their arrangement as Hwiyoung was.

 

“What weapon would you prefer to use?"

 

For someone of his age and stature, Chani had an impressively deep voice. Hwiyoung immediately detested the fact his brain acknowledged the fae for having any sort of impressive characteristics. He wasn’t even sure of how their rivalry started, the first few weeks of settling into the academy were a whirlwind for the young elf and he was sure their paths didn’t cross in that time. Maybe it was during the dragon choosing ceremony, Hwiyoung knew that the shorter boy had been appealing to the ebony dragon since the beginning but it had chosen the blonde instead. Even he had been shocked by his companions choice at first, although after the bonding ritual he could see all the similarities which made them a perfect match. The faery folk were always respectful of the dragons choices though, so maybe then it was in their first lessons when Hwiyoung outmatched the black-haired boy in every magical challenge. The first time Hwiyoung would have considered Chani as his rival was during their first Winter Solstice, and the fae stole his showcase idea leaving him with only twenty minutes to create a new piece. At that time though, the younger was already showing animosity towards him. 

 

“Earth to elf-boy, we have to define our weapons of choice now unless you want to be stuck with something stupid like sai or go hand-to-hand.”

 

“Well, unlike you I am confidently proficient in all forms of armed and unarmed combat, so you can choose whatever weapon you would like.”

 

No matter how simple their interactions were, they always ended up mocking or insulting the other within a few minutes of conversation. It was something of a running joke between his friends that for an elf raised to be polite in all circumstances he found himself constantly belittling a classmate. Hwiyoung used to argue that it was the fae who started it, but it made him sound like a petulant child so he quickly gave up on trying to prove his point. 

 

Across from him the younger boy snorted derisively and walked towards the wall to choose their weapons. Hwiyoung followed him at a safe distance, there was no need to walk close together since they had nothing to talk about. After choosing katanas as their sparring weapon, the pair checked the list for their running order and found they were third from the start. At least it meant they would get this over with quickly and not have to spend too much extra time in one another’s company. The first match was between two humans, Kino and Yuto, they were good friends who practiced together often, so the match lasted a decent amount of time. In comparison, the second match didn’t even last a whole minute before their class’ best fighter Wooseok wiped the floor with the lanky sprite Sanha. He was extremely gracious about it though, helping the younger boy up and sitting with him afterwards to talk to him. Next up was Hwiyoung’s turn to go against Chani, it was their first time ever sparring together outside of simple drills, which made him oddly nervous.

 

“Take your starting positions, please. On my mark, you may begin.”

 

With his instructor Youngbin as their assigned referee for the match, Hwiyoung knew he would have to follow all the rules by the book if he didn’t want to be called up. He would play fair and win, and that would wipe the smug look off his opponent's face and he would be done with him. The whistle blew and their match began. 

 

Hwiyoung immediately took a defensive stance, being an elf meant he was faster than Chani but with the ache in his muscles he wasn’t confident in his ability to land the first blow. After a minute or so of trading glancing blows and dancing around one another, Hwiyoung decided to try strike. Just as his blade was about to make contact with the younger boys shoulder, he felt a tiredness seep into his bones and he couldn’t hold the weapon up any longer. It fell to the ground like a lead weight and try as he might, the blonde struggled to lift it again. Glancing at his opponent he saw a wicked grin on his face, but before he could process it there was a dull pain in his gut and his legs buckled. Distantly he heard Youngbin blow his whistle to signal the end of the match, but there was just a fuzzy ringing inside his head. A hand came down and grabbed his arm, and then everything came back into focus.

 

“Hwiyoung are you alright? You fell quite hard there.”

 

The other instructor for their class, Inseong, helped him stand again, the tiredness was gone instead replaced by the pain in his stomach. Youngbin had pulled Chani off to the side of the ring and seemed to be having a stern discussion with him. It finally clicked in the blonde’s head what happened, Chani must have activated his aura to weaken him and then took advantage of his disoriented state to knock him down. Hwiyoung was furious that the boy would break their no-magic sparring rules so blatantly, but Inseong prevented him from storming over and giving the fae a piece of his mind. He was instructed to go to see the medic and then return to his dorm and rest. And just to make sure he would do as told, they sent Sanha with him.

 

The lanky boy didn’t say much on their walk to the medic’s office, apart from asking him if he was alright. Hwiyoung thought he was a pretty quiet kid, but his friends informed him that he was actually very loud and boisterous once he got comfortable, and was also incredibly talented with magic. Their medic Jaeyoon was waiting for them when they got to the office, and after a quick scan, he sent them both back to their dorms with a tonic and instructions to rest well. 

 

His dragon Nariel was waiting for him when he returned to the dorm, he could sense her worry from the moment he stepped into the building. As soon as he entered his room she surged forwards to greet him, placing a hand on her forehead he opened up his mental connection with her so she could get the whole story. Immediately there was anger surging through the link, and disbelief that a fae would go against the rules like that. There was also relief that he wasn’t injured, and although she tried to hide it, Hwiyoung could feel her desire for revenge.

 

“ _ Nariel you know you can’t just go around taking revenge on anyone who beats me in matches or tests. _ ”

 

“ _ Just this once let me Youngkyun, I promise I will make it swift. The brat deserves it for using his aura to beat you in a sparring match. _ ”

 

Hwiyoung laughed at her determination, she had a very strong sense of justice even for a dragon, and despite still being quite young she often gave off a very motherly vibe when they spoke. He rubbed between her eyes and shook his head, telling her there was no need. She huffed out a breath of hot air in dissatisfaction but dropped the subject regardless. They made their way up to Hwiyoung’s bunk so he could lie down and rest for a while. He would wait for Eunwoo and Rocky to return from sparring before going to wash all the day’s grime off him.

 

It was about an hour later when the door to their room opened, Nariel lifted her head but immediately lay back down when she realised there was no threat. Hwiyoung rolled over in his bunk and glanced at his two friends and roommates coming in. They both looked physically exhausted which was understandable. As the blonde sat up, two dragons flew down from their perches. Eunwoo’s blue dragon Lenora and Rocky’s dark navy dragon Sephia immediately went to their respective riders and engaged in mental conversations. Hwiyoung pulled his aching body out of bed and started gathering his things to go and wash, Nariel watching him carefully the entire time. He knew that if she thought him unfit to bring himself down to the bath house she would forcefully carry him there, and that was something he couldn’t deal with after the day he had had. 

 

The trio made their way down to wash up with their dragons promising to follow behind. It was slow going since they were all so weary, but the hot water and crystal salts helped ease the tired achy feeling in their muscles. There were quite a few people in the bath house, a lot from Hwiyoung’s class obviously feeling the pain from their intense lessons that day. He spotted Rowoon, an older elf from his community, in the far corner of the room talking to a shorter rider with bright red hair, and made his way over to them. The taller boy spotted him and quickly made his way towards him, embracing him in a tight bear hug when they reached one another. 

 

“I heard you had Youngbin and Inseong’s physical schedule today and that you got injured! Are you alright now?”

 

“If you weren’t crushing my painfully tired body then I would be fine.”

 

Rowoon quickly let him go after that but still held him close, his friend laughed loudly from behind them having watched the entire thing. The older elf turned his head and glared at the redhead, but didn’t say anything. Hwiyoung carefully extracted himself from Rowoon’s long arms and they spoke briefly to catch up on their training progress. His tall friend had been paired with Juho, the vampire behind him, on a tracking mission for some stolen relics, they were starting the following day. The blonde nodded and wished the pair luck, before heading back to where his friends were finishing their baths. 

 

“Are you guys ready to go? We can make something quick to eat before going to bed.”

 

At the mention of food they were both up and grabbing towels to dry off, Hwiyoung turned around to go and was met with an enthusiastic Dawon. The older boy had completed his basic training and worked for Inseong and Youngbin as a messenger if he wasn’t on assignment. He motioned for the three of them to stay for a minute and ran to stand on a bench at the side of the room.

 

“May I have your attention, please! Anyone from BinSeong’s physical class this morning I have an announcement! Your instructors would like me to inform you that for your end of year project you will be working with a partner on a title chosen by the Council. And that the partner you will be working with is your classmate who you sparred with in your last lesson today! Deadline is five weeks from now, make sure you tell any of your other classmates who aren’t here! Thank you all for listening!”

 

Everyone else in the bath house went back to whatever they had been doing before as if the announcement meant nothing. Maybe to some it really didn’t, they might get along well with their partners, but not for Hwiyoung. He would have to spend the next three weeks working with his bitter rival every day and rely on him to work hard and contribute to getting a good final grade. It was going to be a nightmare.

 

He was in a daze for the entire walk back to their dorm, Nariel had sensed his inner turmoil and wanted to know what was wrong, but he waved her off and promised he would tell her once they got back upstairs. There was no way this arrangement could possibly work, he couldn’t even speak two sentences to Chani without saying something sarcastic or insulting. When they were finally tucked into bed for the night, his dragon came over to speak with him as promised.

 

“ _ What’s wrong little one? You are very distressed. _ ”

 

“ _ I have been paired up with Chani for my final year project, we will have to work together for the next month and I get this feeling it’s not going to end as I hope. _ ”

 

“ _ The fae whom you sparred with this morning? The one who broke the rules and injured you? He is your work partner? _ ”

 

“ _ Yes unfortunately so. How am I supposed to work with him on something this important when I can barely speak a civil word to him? _ ”

 

“ _ You will do your best to overcome this inconvenience as you always do little one. I will be by your side whenever possible to ensure the brat does nothing to harm you while you’re working. _ ”

 

Hwiyoung chuckled at the fierce tone Nariel was using, paired with her striking black colouring and impressive size, she could be terrifying when she wanted to be. He stroked her gently and wished her goodnight before rolling over in his bunk to sleep. If he had to work closely with Chani for the next while he would have to be well rested.

 

The next day they didn’t have any scheduled classes as it was deemed a rest period from their intense physical class the previous day. Hwiyoung had to go see Jaeyoon again to make sure he was in fit condition, and once given the all-clear he headed to the clearing where he knew Youngbin and Inseong would be. As he approached, he heard the sounds of a sparring match taking place. Like he expected, the two instructors were facing off against one another in an intense fight. He made sure to keep a safe distance and settled down to watch.

 

It was clear to see why Youngbin and Inseong were voted “Best Physical Trainers” in the Academy. They each had a unique fighting style, but both were equal parts power and grace while sparring. Whenever the students got an opportunity to watch them facing one another it was breathtaking, their moves like an intricately woven dance that happened in perfect harmony. The way they moved in perfect sync with the other, anticipating every move and countering easily, it was mesmerising. Hwiyoung had little interest in being a part of the overly physical fighting tasks that most riders seemed to relish, however, he couldn’t help wishing he had a partner who could match up to him in every way like Youngbin and Inseong. 

 

They finished their bout quite suddenly and turned to look at Hwiyoung in sync, eyes glowing gold from their aura. He felt sheepish, but stood up and greeted them anyways. Inseong reached him first, his legs being longer than the other man, and the blonde could tell they both knew what had brought him to the clearing. Clearing his throat, he prepared himself to ask the question he had been practicing all morning.

 

“You don’t need to say anything Hwiyoung, it won’t be of any use. You have been partnered with Chani and that’s the end of it.”

 

The young elf deflated at Youngbin’s words, it had only been a tiny sliver of hope but still, losing it was quite hard. A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders and he felt a wave of warmth and reassurance wash over him. Another arm came to rest on his back and the feeling of calm determination accompanied it. He could make it through this project, get a great grade, and possibly even graduate in the top ten. All he needed to do was work with Chani and they would do well.

 

“If you would like to go speak with him, the fae students are just finishing up morning rituals in the spring. He should be back in the main square in about fifteen minutes or so.”

 

Hwiyoung nodded his head and thanked the pair gratefully. It was part of their job to know the customs different races took part in and accommodate them into lessons wherever possible. If he walked a little faster he could reach the square at the same time as Chani would be there and hopefully catch him to talk. They would need to exchange contact details and arrange a meeting plan if they were to work well together on the project. Thanking Youngbin and Inseong once more he turned on his heel and dashed away from the clearing. On the way, he took out his ebony crystal to contact Nariel and told her to meet him in the square. She would be very upset if he conducted this meeting without her there.

 

He reached the square and saw no signs of the fae students having passed through yet, spotting Rocky off to one side he made his way over to talk to him. Turns out his roommate was waiting to meet Moonbin in the square, he had the same idea to discuss their working plan for the project too. Nariel touched down in the square a few moments later, coming up to wrap her tail around Hwiyoung’s legs as she lay down on the warm stones. It was certainly a comfort to have her there with him, and he reached out mentally to feel her reassuring presence in the back of his mind. Just as he was discussing a new sigil he had been studying in runes with Rocky, a gentle breeze carrying a thick earthy scent blew across the square. His head whipped towards the path that lead to the spring and he was met with a dazzling sight.

 

There weren’t a lot of fae riders in the academy, most of them tended to stay within their communities or became travelling healers. In the group that was coming into the square, there were two instructors who must have been leading the ritual, a few graduated riders who stayed within the academy for further training, and then students at various learning levels. Hwiyoung couldn’t see Chani anywhere in the small group, and he wondered if maybe Youngbin and Inseong were wrong and he hadn’t attended this morning. But then a pair broke away from the middle of the group and made their way over to Hwiyoung and Rocky. It took a minute to recognise Chani, but when he did his heart began to speed up. The younger boy had died his hair a bright orange colour since they last met, and he was glowing from the after-effects of their ritual. Moonbin was with him and greeted Rocky brightly as they approached.

 

“Hey there Rocko, what are you doing here?”

 

“I was waiting for your dumb ass to get here so we could discuss the final year project. We have to make meeting times to work on it.”

 

The taller fae casually slung an arm around Rocky’s shoulders and dragged him away babbling happily about working together. Which left Hwiyoung and Chani standing face to face, and an awkward silence followed. It was pretty obvious the shorter of the two knew why the blonde was there, but he refused to say anything, instead just staring stubbornly. If it hadn’t been for his dragon’s intervention, Hwiyoung probably would have stared back for as long as it took. But that didn’t happen, as Nariel used her tail around Hwiyoung’s legs to push him forward towards the other boy, an obvious indication she was not going to just lie there and wait.

 

“I- um- well you obviously heard that we’ve been put together to work on our end of year projects. Youngbin and Inseong said I could find you here so we could talk and stuff.”

 

He said it in a petulant sulky voice as if he had been forced unwillingly into this situation - which he supposed he had been. Chani merely nodded in assent and the pair awkwardly agreed to meet before dinner that evening when they received their official project information. After that, he bowed slightly to Nariel before shuffling off in the direction of his dorm. It was only watching his retreating back Hwiyoung realised why he had been so uncomfortable. He had been wearing his ritual robes - pure white cotton wrapped around his lithe frame, which was a very stark contrast to the black jeans and leather jackets he wore for classes. Deciding to not dwell too much thinking about his partner and his new hair and glowing golden skin, Hwiyoung nudged his dragon to get up.

 

“ _ Are you not satisfied with the outcome of your conversation with the fae? I thought it went quite smoothly despite the tension between you. _ ”

 

“ _ No I am satisfied, we arranged a time to meet without insulting one another which was a first for sure. I just need to think for a bit is all. Would you like to go flying? _ ”

 

There was nothing Hwiyoung loved more than seeing his dragon smile, while others might think it was terrifying to see the rows of razor sharp teeth appearing suddenly from the darkness of Nariel’s face, the blonde elf felt a sense of pride knowing he could make her happy. They took off from the square and headed out towards the forest and the lake, whenever Hwiyoung needed to clear his head from all the thoughts running wild in his mind he loved to feel the wind against his skin and watch the world race by below him. There was no need to worry about instructing his dragon where to fly, he trusted her with his life and the bond between them was as strong as it could get, so he could instead focus on putting everything in order in his own head.

 

After an hour of Nariel flying around and practicing new aerial moves she had learned in her classes, Hwiyoung felt he had his thoughts sorted. They returned to the main academy grounds and grabbed a quick lunch before heading to the departure area to see Rowoon and Juho off on their mission. The taller rider looked very impressive dressed in full elven armour, but it paled in comparison to the vampires attire. Hwiyoung had never seen a set of fitted vampire armour being worn before, and the combination of black and gold perfectly highlighted Juho’s sharp looks and dark red hair. Of course it was made all the more impressive by the onyx broadsword he carried on his back and his dragon who had blood red scales which matched his riders hair. All in all, the pair of riders and dragons struck an impressive image as they flew off, and the young elf couldn’t help laughing at the whispers of awe from the other students who had also been there to see them off. If only they knew how much of a dork Rowoon really was. Nariel snickered too, Rowoon’s dragon Mayne was like a mother to a large proportion of the younger dragons in the academy, and even some of the older ones too, nothing like the cool chic image she gave off as they were saying goodbye.

 

Considering their free time was very scarce in the final months of their training, Hwiyoung took the opportunity to grab a book of runes from the head-elf in charge of translations and headed to the silent courtyard where he could do some reading in peace. Nariel felt it would be unwise for her to join him and instead took her chance to go rest before her stamina training resumed the following day. The blonde elf barely noticed the time passing as he became so engrossed in his reading, he had such a passion for learning as much as he could about the language of magic and the ancient powers in the land that were still not fully understood. He had been raised in a temple community and so was familiar with runes and how to interpret them, but the volume of texts from the pre-dragon era which still remained untranslated was enormous, and so whenever he got a spare moment in his rider training he took a random book and began transcribing sections. Usually, they were quite uninteresting, tales of the daily life of temple priests or wandering merchants, however, he hoped someday he could discover a book that contained information on the origins of magic, or new spells or even history of the dragons and their partnership with the mortal races. 

 

It was not until he felt a tendril of energy probing in his mind did he look up from his parchment and see the dusk rolling in. When he opened his consciousness it was Nariel questioning where he was and why he was late for dinner. As quickly but quietly as he could manage, Hwiyoung gathered his materials and all but ran from the courtyard, meeting his ebony dragon outside. 

 

“ _ Your fae partner approached me outside the dining hall and asked where you were. I, unfortunately, had to relay to him I was unsure of your location. He wished me to inform you he will wait for you in the library after dinner so you can speak about your project. _ ”

 

She had a very smug tone in her voice and the elf could have sworn she was smirking at him. Frustrated that he had lost track of the time and given Chani the image he was unreliable, he huffed and continued past his dragon to the dining hall to get something to eat. Instead of sitting with his friends like usual - they were both engrossed in deep conversation with their project partners - Hwiyoung instead sat at a small table by himself, although he wasn’t alone for long before three other students from his class joined him. They were a loud, excitable group of humans who all came from non-magic backgrounds but fought desperately to get a place in the academy, the elf had no problems with them other than their constant questions and pealing laughter. Hwiyoung preferred silence whenever he could get it since his hyper-hearing made it unbearable to be in large crowds at times, although Youngbin had taught him a ward within his first week which helped to block out a large amount of the background noise which helped him greatly. Finishing his meal in almost record time, the blonde excused himself from the table and made his way outside towards the library. The evening air was refreshing and calm, and Hwiyoung used it to strengthen his resolve before his meeting. With his dragon nowhere in sight he reached out to her mentally, it would be a much more comfortable meeting for him if Nariel would be by his side. Almost immediately after he questioned her whereabouts she landed in the space in front of him. If he wasn’t so in tune with her aura and used to her stealthy appearances, Hwiyoung thought he might get a deathly shock and her silent arrivals. 

 

“ _ Are you ready to go to the library little one? I spoke with your partner's dragon Ferian and he told me the fae has been there for almost an hour waiting for you. _ ”

 

“ _ I’m as ready as I can be. At least tell me Chani is in an area of the library where you can stay with us? I would much rather you be there, considering he has a much higher sense of respect for you than me. _ ”

 

She laughed at that and indicated she would be able to stay with him. He mounted her back and they quickly flew towards the large building that housed their academies library, it was the perfect meeting place as they would be surrounded by all the necessary resources they might need to begin research on their title. Hwiyoung hoped that Chani had the foresight to meet with a council representative to find out what their project title was before going to the library since it had completely slipped the elves mind. In no time they had arrived and the blonde followed his dragon to the spot where she knew Chani would be. Sure enough, the fae was sitting under an artificial tree-light already surrounded by a considerable amount of books and paper. He looked up as they approached and for a moment, Hwiyoung thought his heart stopped beating. 

 

“Glad you could finally make it. Since you were MIA after we met this morning I took the liberty of receiving our title from the council. It doesn’t seem overly difficult but it will probably require a decent amount of research and fieldwork. I already started gathering books, have a look and see what you think.”

 

It was about as polite as Hwiyoung thought the fae could possibly be, and so he accepted it with good grace. The shorter boy made no further comments on Hwiyoung’s absence, and so, in turn, the blonde asked no questions about the red marks adorning his partner's hands and neck. Once it became clear that her rider was in no danger of being verbally assaulted, Nariel excused herself and flew up to the perch where Chani’s silver-green dragon sat. After a few hours of discussing the requirements of the project and dividing up the research workload, the pair decided they had reached a good starting point and called it a night. Hwiyoung really hated to admit it, but his bitter rival was actually a very decent scholar and they worked well together. And although it pained him greatly, his nature demanded he say as much.

 

“I think we have a solid foundation of work for our project here, I’m sure we will be able to do very well.”

 

Chani seemed surprised at the positive admission coming from the taller boy, but he accepted with an affirmative nod of his head. They arranged a working schedule which would allow them to do independent study for their project without negatively impacting on their other classwork. It would be necessary for the pair to meet regularly to discuss any important information they found and they would have to work closely with one another to make sure the project was of the best possible quality. 

 

As they parted ways outside the library to head to their respective dorms, Hwiyoung experienced another heart-stopping moment when Chani paused to say goodbye just before leaving. The moon behind him cast a silver halo around his orange hair, and the light reflecting off his dragon’s scales gave the air around him a shimmering quality. He looked ethereal, and there was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that left Hwiyoung wondering if the fae had used some sort of glammar to create the effect. As he lay in bed that night, after an overwhelming interrogation from his roommates, the last thing the elf thought of was his new partner, glowing in the moonlight.

 

Over the coming weeks, Hwiyoung and Chani reluctantly became quite close. Now whenever they had a break from their shared classes, they would discuss any new reading they had done on their project and whether they could use it, where before they would actively avoid and ignore one another. If they had separate classes they would meet over lunch, often dragging large amounts of study material with them to pore over. It quickly became evident that they each had a unique skillset which was very useful for working on their project. Hwiyoung could read and interpret runes and so they could use original texts rather than the translated versions which were often in high demand. Chani had an intrinsic knowledge of all the functional plants in various regions of the land, which meant they could direct their focus towards certain areas and would also be highly useful when they went out to do fieldwork. The first two weeks of their project passed by quickly, and against all his better judgement, Hwiyoung no longer found it fitting to call Chani a rival, although he was not yet a friend.

 

It was awkward at first, not even two days after they started working together Hwiyoung realised they actually had a lot in common. Similar tastes in food and music, style of clothes and even hobbies - there was so much that could be considered best friend material between them. Even their dragons got along very well, often using their riders study time as a chance to practice evasive manoeuvres with one another. The elf found himself laughing at how Chani disrespected his older friends since he often did the same, and the confused look they gave each other at that was even more comical. Neither wanted to admit they were getting along well, nor did they want to compliment the others work at any stage, but both found themselves gradually becoming more at ease working together. 

 

Exactly halfway through their research, they finally gathered the last pieces of written reference material they needed, and naturally, it was a cause for minor celebrations. His other friends had reached similar milestones in their own projects, and so they arranged for a midnight picnic in the glade as a reward of sorts. They didn’t get to stay out for long before one of the literature instructors Myungjun found them and immediately sent them all back to their dorms. His bright orange dragon made sure to escort all six of their partners back to their respective nests, while the six students had to walk. Despite this, Hwiyoung found that he had enjoyed himself greatly in the company of the others. Rocky seemed to be quite close to his fae partner Moonbin, and they laughed and joked casually with one another, and while Eunwoo and Taeyang were much quieter, it was easy to see the elf and human were comfortable working together. Hwiyoung also got along quite well with Taeyang, but he found himself gravitating towards conversation with Chani the entire time. And as they bid one another goodnight as the group had to break off in separate directions, he couldn’t help giving the shorter boy a small but sincere smile. That night was the start of moving towards a new uncharted territory for Hwiyoung, but when Chani returned a shy smile of his own, the elf didn’t think it was a bad thing being paired with a rival after all.

 

On the day that Rowoon and Juho returned successfully from their own mission, telling tales of vicious night-creatures, disreputable bandits, and an ancient magic - Hwiyoung and Chani finally received clearance for their own project’s fieldwork portion. It wouldn’t be long, a three day trip to the mountains just beyond the academy, and they would be accompanied by a more experienced rider and dragon. Most graduates who stayed in the academy to work or study more volunteered to accompany students on their end of year field trips for extra credit, or just a chance to get out and fly. Two days later when Hwiyoung and Chani were called to meet the council representative over their project, they were surprised to find Juho there too. He looked quite different than he had coming back from his own mission, the impressive armour and swept back hair replaced by an oversized hoodie and distressed jeans, and his crimson hair coming down to almost cover his eyes. They were told he would be the one going with them on their trip since he knew his way around the area they were travelling to. It was a bit unusual since he had just returned from a long trip, but neither would complain having someone as experienced as the older vampire with them.

 

Later on that evening Hwiyoung met with Rowoon at the bath house and asked him if he knew Juho had volunteered to accompany students. The older elf nonchalantly said he did, but there was a slight flush to his cheeks that wasn’t from the heat of the water. The blonde boy said nothing but made sure to tell Chani of his suspicions when they met the next morning at breakfast. Both resolved to question Juho about it when they left, there was every possibility something happened between them on their two-week mission and being the curious brats they were, they were going to find out. 

 

Their departure day arrived very quickly, and plenty of students came to see them off on their trip despite the early morning start. Not every project required fieldwork, and some others were jealous of the pair for the opportunity they had. Of course, there were some students there just to see Juho in his armour, Hwiyoung suspected that was Rowoon’s main reason for coming. Inseong and Youngbin said a few words to them, they had both passed all their necessary basic skills tests and their instructors were confident they would come back successful. And then it was time for them to go, they had their bags and weapons already strapped to their dragons saddle bags and all that was left for their riders to climb on. They said their last goodbyes to their friends and took off. There was no doubt that Hwiyoung in his elven armour on his ebony black dragon probably was a striking contrast to Chani in his traditional fae gear which matched the colour of his dragons scales. And with Juho on his much larger blood red dragon, there was no wonder those watching had fallen silent as they flew away.

 

It took a few hours before the mountains came into sight and despite the sun in the sky, there was a bitter chill in the air as they flew. Hwiyoung was very grateful for his cloak the closer they got to the mountains, as the temperature continued to plummet. They landed in the foothills in the early afternoon, and Hwiyoung was glad to be closer to the ground where he didn’t feel like his fingers were going to fall off. Chani, of course, laughed at him when he said as much since the fae was unaffected by the cold he was very unsympathetic. The elf grumbled and muttered insults back, but unlike before they grew close there was no real malice or bite to his words, it was just friendly bickering and teasing. They sat and had something small to eat, before deciding on a plan for continuing. Juho was only able to advise them on what areas to avoid, it was up to the younger pair to make the rest of the decisions. Once they had an idea set out, they mounted up and took off again, this time Juho followed behind them and Chani took the lead. 

 

Their trip continued in that way, landing in areas of interest and doing all their necessary research for the project. Once or twice they had to make adjustments to their plan on advice from Juho, but it mostly ran smoothly. It wasn’t until their last day when they ran into a problem. The final section of their research required them to take samples from an ancient settlement which had become overgrown. Juho didn’t see any problems with it as long as they were respectful and only took what they needed. Since it was quite a tight space their dragons couldn’t accompany them inside, and instead went hunting for themselves to prepare for the long flight back to the academy. They made it to the third floor of the stone structure, avoiding crumbling walls and poisonous plants, and it was then the younger pair decided to ask the vampire about his relationship with Rowoon.

 

“Juho, were any of the ruins you went into on your mission with Rowoon like this? It seems like relics would be in old places like this no?”

 

It was phrased as a simple question, probably one the redhead had answered plenty before, but he stuttered a little before speaking back. Hwiyoung was certain it was the mention of the older elf which had made him nervous. 

 

“No we didn’t have to actually find any artifacts, we were just tracking bandits who had illegally taken them from sites.”

 

“Ah ok. Were you disappointed you didn’t get to see any cool tombs? I know Rowoon loves places like that, he finds them fascinating.”

 

Again a blush and a stutter, there was definitely something going on between them to cause the calm and collected vampire to act like this. He muttered something inaudible but before either of the younger two could question him an icy chill suddenly took hold of the air. Hwiyoung felt an energy wrap itself around his throat and start squeezing, preventing him from breathing. He struggled against it, but he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs to cast a ward. There was noise and commotion happening around him, but his vision had started to go dark and he couldn’t see where Juho or Chani was. With the last of his energy, he sent a plea to any guardians that could hear him, but even he knew it probably wasn’t strong enough to be heard. 

 

Just before he completely lost consciousness, a warmth touched his chest and suddenly his lungs were filled with burning air. Screaming out the most potent ward he knew in elvish, the choking energy released its grip on his throat and he drew in a deep breath. The air tasted metallic, but it smelled smoky - like burning oak wood. When his vision had cleared he opened his eyes to find that he was lying on his back, scrambling to sit up he saw Juho leaning weakly against a wall but there was no sign of Chani. Rushing over to the older rider, he noticed the gash on his arm and the paler than usual colour of his face. He grabbed an energy crystal from his belt and drained it to heal the vampires wounds, it took a moment for him to be able to speak after the spell had finished working.

 

“We must have triggered some sort of ancient protection in this area of the building, I wasn’t paying attention to scanning the room I’m sorry. You were lifted and then thrown to the ground by some sort of energy, but Chani was grabbed by the shadows and pulled from the room. Whatever malicious entity it was possessed my sword and attacked me with it. I’m not sure what spell you cast or even how you managed to do it, but it banished the spirit from the room.”

 

Panic was the first thing that Hwiyoung felt, his partner had been taken by something dark and he had no idea where to find him. Fae were particularly susceptible to the effects of dark spirits and Chani wouldn’t be able to hold out long against something that was powerful enough to take on three riders at once. Juho seemed to have regained enough strength to move again so the elf immediately ran out of the room and began scanning for energy signals. He felt a faint light coming from the heart of the ruin and took off in pursuit immediately. Now was the time to push his natural abilities and all his years of training to their limits. 

 

The light got stronger when he reached the ground floor, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. But then he heard a cry, and it was certainly Chani’s voice. Following the sound down a narrow corridor, he saw the orange haired boy being dragged towards a stone altar that definitely hadn’t been there when they first arrived. The look of terror on the fae’s face triggered an intense feeling in Hwiyoung’s chest, and his blood began to boil with an energy he never knew he had. He drew on all that power and his knowledge of ancient runes to craft a spell which would release Chani from the spirits grasp but imprison the core entity so it couldn’t escape. The air around him crackled as he cast the spell, hurling it towards the darkness, and it worked exactly as the young elf had envisioned. 

 

Juho came sprinting into the room to see Hwiyoung enveloped in a silver mist of power with his eyes glowing brightly, and Chani was standing unsteadily in front of the stone altar. Above his head, a dark malicious energy was writhing inside a cage of energy surrounded by runes that the vampire had never seen before. For a moment the two young riders just stared at one another, wordless conversation passing between them, before the silence was broken by an almighty roar from outside. The cage around the spirit held, but the mist surrounding the blonde quickly dissipated. Chani stumbled weakly but Hwiyoung was by his side to catch him before he could fall. Juho rushed forward too and helped carry the young fae out of the ruins. 

 

Outside their three dragons stood tense and distraught. Nariel looked like she was ready to tear down the building in front of her, and Juho’s dragon had his teeth bared ready for battle. When they were clear from the stone overhang, Ferian came forward and wrapped his tail protectively around him. The youngest was very shook up and too weak to talk, so Juho relayed the story to their three companions. Hwiyoung was unsure of how long the spell he cast would keep the spirit trapped, so the three riders and dragons quickly flew away from the area and headed back towards the academy. A fully qualified team of riders would have to be sent to the ruin to properly deal with the situation, but the most important thing was to get Chani to safety.

 

The flight back seemed far too long, every minute Hwiyoung would glance at the rider and dragon in front of him to make sure they were still ok. Nariel had questioned him in detail about his experience and the spell he cast, she was understandably worried but also incredibly impressed with his skill. The elf made sure to send up a gracious thank you to whichever guardian had heard him and given him the ability to break free of the energy which had been binding him. But he couldn’t help wondering where the power that surged through his body had come from that allowed him to save Chani. It was a question he would have to pose to the elven rider in charge of magic in the academy. 

 

There was a huge commotion when they arrived back, Chani was immediately taken by fae healers to cleanse the dark magic that had captured him. Juho and Hwiyoung had to give a full account of everything that happened to the riders council through a scrying bowl, and Hwiyoung was held for further questioning about the spell he used to trap the spirit. Within an hour of finishing their meeting, a team of four powerful riders had been dispatched to the ruins, and the blonde elf could only hope they would be successful. 

 

His body was exhausted, every muscle ached and screamed for him to rest but his mind was buzzing. After Jaeyoon had given him the all clear he went and sat in the square to wait for Chani to come back. Rowoon came and brought him food, but he didn’t stay long as he wanted to go see Juho as well. It vaguely registered in the younger elf’s mind that his friend had called the vampire his boyfriend, but he was far too worried about his partner to make any comment. After what felt like an eternity, but was only a few hours, Chani finally emerged from the forest surrounded by four taller fae in healers garbs. He looked as exhausted as Hwiyoung felt, but his energy was clean and his skin was glowing. The fae looked towards him sitting in the square, and his eyes lit up with an emotion Hwiyoung couldn’t name. The healers cleared him to go, and the younger boy made his way over.

 

There were so many things Hwiyoung wanted to ask, if he was alright and what had happened, but before he could even open his mouth Chani had embraced him in a tight hug. Automatically Hwiyoung’s arms wrapped around the shorter boys lithe frame and held him close, he smelled like the earthy fragrance of the forest but there was an undertone of something else, something sweeter. 

 

“Thank you Hwiyoung. I can never repay you for what you did for me.”

 

His words came out quietly, face buried in the blonde's shoulder, but he heard them well enough. Pulling back so that he could look him in the eye, Hwiyoung was suddenly overcome with emotion, only he finally recognised what it was. The reason his heart stopped beating whenever the fae looked so ethereal, the reason his palms got sweaty when they sat close in the library, the reason his chest felt lighter when he heard the orange haired boy laughing and saw him smile, the reason he had been able to summon all that energy when he had been in danger. It was love, grown slowly and fostered by their closeness and interactions over the last four and a half weeks, and kicked into action by the fear of losing him. And looking at him now, small and frail in his arms, Hwiyoung knew he would do anything to protect the fae from all harm, anything to keep him safe and make him happy. The look in the younger boy’s eyes was open enough that the elf could see he felt the same. So instead of useless words, Hwiyoung leaned down and pressed his lips gently against Chani’s. 

 

It was brief, but the energy that passed between them was enough to ensure Hwiyoung that he had been right. There was a new light in the fae’s eyes when they looked at one another again, and the blonde felt himself blushing at the tenderness that was there. He wanted to say something to address this new development, but their dragons flew down suddenly and demanded their attention. It was alright though, what mattered was Chani was safe. They could talk about all of this later. 

 

“ _ Well Youngkyun, I take it that Chani is not your rival anymore? _ ”

 

Hwiyoung blushed, but he shook his head, perhaps the only reason he had considered the fae his rival in the first place was that there was an energy between them he couldn’t define. It was clear now though what it was, and they would both be sure to treasure it and help it grow.

 

They received top marks in their end of year project, despite not getting the final sample they needed. The riders who had returned from the ruins had deemed Hwiyoung’s spellcasting and use of runes exceptional and far above his class standard. Youngbin and Inseong put forward a motion to make Chani and Hwiyoung a permanent team, and neither boy wished to argue. Deciding they both had a lot more they wanted to learn about and practice, they stayed on after graduation to do further study. Fortunately, the missions they went on from then didn’t involve dealing with any more malicious spirits out to get them. There was one incident where Hwiyoung tried to follow a bandit out the window of an old mill house and got his cloak caught on the wall. Chani almost fell off his dragon laughing at him as he came to help him down. Nariel also laughed boisterously when she returned with the would-be runaway in her claws. Hwiyoung bribed his boyfriend into leaving that out of reports with kisses.


	2. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will fill this with any information about the world you might need, and answers to questions about unclear topics if anyone asks in the comments!

1\. Elven folk don't share their real names with people because they believe their names hold power. The only ones who would know their real name are immediate family members and highly trusted confidants. Obviously dragons know their elven riders names, and they would also share their names with a partner once they become close enough.

2\. There is a language unique to each race, which can amplify the power of a spell if the caster speaks it (i.e since Hwiyoung is an elf his spells are more powerful in elvish). Ancient runes are typically translated as elvish since that's mostly who they were written by. There are books of runes in other languages, and plenty of riders learn to speak multiple tongues.

3\. Every race has a traditional style of armour, but there is also a modernised standard armour that some riders choose to wear especially if they are participating in peacekeeping missions with non-riders. 

4\. Dragons and their riders have a mental bond which they can use to communicate with one another, but dragons can also project their "voices" to others to hear. They can communicate within a certain distance, but like regular speaking, if they are too far away you can't communicate with them. Riders are often given crystals imbued with a special energy that can help them talk to their dragons at long distance, but it requires an energy input and incantation from the rider. 

5\. The different races are all humanoid just with unique features. They also have special powers that come from their nature of being part of a particular race. 

6\. Aura is just the term for an individuals special talent, it's not something people tend to keep secret. It can be anything from enhancing reflexes to speaking tongues to levitating, but it requires a magical input to use. Some people have more powerful auras than others, and a lot of people can have a similar ability.


End file.
